Mercator Advisory Group has published a new report titled "Prepaid Market Forecasts 2007 to 2010" that provides "a forecast of growth for all 33 Prepaid Market Segments" including the load volumes and cards issued.

Comdata Stored Value Solutions has announced a strategic alliance with Qualcomm to deliver services that make managing gift cards as easy as using cell phones. The two companies said they will provide the a service that will allow gift card holders to check and store their gift card balance information using SMS from mobile phones, rather than going to the retail store, going online or calling a voice response system. In addition, the retailer issuer of the gift card will have an opportunity to position a “call to action” message along with the gift card balance to shoppers who have opted in to receive such messages.

Barclaycard Business in the UK has announced the launch of Barclaycard Business Sustain, a carbon-offset corporate charge card that will enable customers to offset carbon emissions associated with air travel.

In a move designed to enable the company to be "completely focused on expanding its technology leadership position across the financial services landscape," Fiserv has announced a definitive agreement to sell substantially all of its Health businesses to UnitedHealthcare for $775 million in cash.

The MSB Coalition, representing money services businesses (MSBs) from across the country, says it "applauds the introduction of federal legislation to address, once and for all, the ongoing problem of bank discontinuance. This is the unwarranted, blanket termination of MSB bank accounts by traditional financial institutions in response to misguided regulatory pressure. Without such access, MSBs cannot conduct business."

In an article titled 'Getting to Know Identity Thieves', Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary writes about the recent review of actual identity theft cases conducted by the Center for Identity Management and Information Protection. "What I learned from this report was this: You can't trust any business or anybody, even family members."

Metavante Technologies, Inc. has announced that it has completed its spin-off from Marshall & Ilsley Corporation. "Shares of common stock for Metavante Technologies, Inc. will begin trading today on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol MV. Metavante Corporation is the principal operating subsidiary of
Metavante Technologies, Inc."

We have received news of the following recent management changes:

• Capital One has named Michael W. Azevedo as the senior executive responsible for all bank operations across the company’s banking footprint. A 27-year veteran of Wells Fargo Bank, Azevedo will oversee national operations and phone based banking of Capital One's banking activities. Azevedo will report to Lynn Pike, President of Capital One's Banking business.

• Forrester: UK Online Banking Forecast: 2007 To 2012
• "We'll pick up the tab,'' Chase tells debit card customers
• TD Banknorth is First to Offer Customers Instant Access to Flat-Panel Debit Cards
• Canada's Globe & Mail: Forget your wallet, use the cellphone
• Indian Financial Card Market - More Debit than Credit for Future